Lifestyle education helps prevent diabetes

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Educating high-risk individuals about diabetes prevention really does help them lower their risk, according to a review of studies on the topic.

"Our study provides evidence of a relationship between lifestyle education in high-risk subjects and the prevention of type 2 diabetes," write study authors Drs. Kazue Yamaoka and Toshiro Tango, of the National Institute of Public Health, in Japan.

Lifestyle education -- generally aimed at informing people about diet and exercise -- is a commonly accepted method of preventing and treating type 2 diabetes, yet few researchers have conducted a formal overview of its effectiveness.

To fill the gap, Yamaoka and Tango identified and evaluated several studies that met their criteria for inclusion. Study participants were adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes, as determined by their blood glucose levels.

The lifestyle interventions differed in the various studies, the researchers note. For example, in one study those in the intervention received diet counseling from a dietitian and physical activity counseling from a physiotherapist. In another, participants were put on a low-fat, high-fiber diet and engaged in regular exercise during a one-month stay at a wellness center.

Still, men and women who participated in the lifestyle education intervention, which usually lasted for one year, had lower glucose levels at follow-up, the researchers report in this month's issue of Diabetes Care.

What's more, their risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes was only half as great as for those who did not participate in the intervention, Yamaoka and Tango report.

"Considering the poor quality of life of diabetic patients," they conclude, "preventing the development of this disease is important, and much more attention should be paid to lifestyle education."

SOURCE: Diabetes Care, November 2005.